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Callaghan Questions Biotech Focus

Renowned science commentator, author and physics researcher Prof. Paul Callaghan this month embarks on a nationwide speaking tour, sponsored by the Royal Society of New Zealand. Winner of numerous awards and prizes during his career, Callaghan has a simple message for his audience – we need to build on our investment in research, science and technology if we are to grow a prosperous society.

Callaghan is one of a rare species of boundary spanning scientists both willing and able to communicate to those outside of his field. He understands the importance of encouraging the next generation of scientists as well as connecting researchers to entrepreneurs and investors who can help commercialise new scientific knowledge for economic benefit. He is also part of a growing chorus demanding more science funding and a better process for allocating resources within the national innovation system.

Prof. Callaghan’s passion for science is obvious when he speaks in public and I look forward to attending his Wellington event. He discussed at length the importance of science to the economy in an interview on National Radio’s Sunday morning “Ideas” slot recently and reminded us how improvements in our quality of life have come about through advances in technology. He also said that similar sized nations such as Israel, Finland and Ireland are now enjoying bouyant economic times in part due to substantial past investments in research.

He also alluded to some concerns about where the focus lies in terms of New Zealand’s national innovation framework. Citing a strong track record of commercialisation in the physical sciences and engineering technologies, he suggested there was an unwarranted emphasis on biotechnology, despite its promising global outlook. He says New Zealand has struggled to gain traction in biotech because of the huge capital requirements and long lead times that sometimes overwhelm small firms seeking product accreditation and then sales in distant markets.

Callaghan suggested that we need to keep an open mind about where we invest in research, science and technology because good ideas sometimes spring up from unexpected places. He quoted the example of Peter Jackson and the film and graphics industries that grew around his business. Encumbent government Minister Pete Hodgson stated that he was listening to the views of the science community and he was mindful that New Zealand’s investment, although improving, was still below par. He said that forthcoming changes to the tax treatment of R&D from next year should be of assistance to the sector.

2 thoughts on “Callaghan Questions Biotech Focus”

Pete Hodgson is just talking hot air and no substance. The opening of the Auckland/Otago Dodd/Walls Photonic Center, which was held at Auckland University in December , 2006, there was no single government representative that attended this important event, despite sending some invitations to the Ministry of Research, Science & Technology by the organizers of this event. The work of this center is overlapped with the type of research that Prof. Paul Callaghan is doing such as the area of nano-technology. I am pretty much sure that researchers at Dodd/Walls do linkup with Prof. Paul Callaghan’s group. I think that Prof. Paul Callaghan is right about the length of R&D in biotechnology, which could take years before any commercial applications could be developed.

I enjoyed Prof Callaghan’s talk in Wellington last night which was attended by several hundred from the local science and research community. It was a great presentation and he made a strong case for more publicly funded R&D.

He didn’t seem very optimistic about getting more funding, despite the fact that the government is awash with cash. He said that it will only become a priority when the electorate recognise the importance. The politicians already know it’s important – it just isn’t a big vote winner.

So all of us who are in a position to speak, write, lobby or pursuade, should do so by whatever means.